I can't take the credit. A group of us got together in OT and greatly discussed why people most often crush their Volvo around here. Extensive research by 17 members discovered that
97% of the time it starts with cut springs
the stats go even higher when car is an 85+ 240 to a 98.7% probability of crushing
99.9876% if belt line trim has been removed

fix your suspension and steering and quit trying to reinvent the wheel

I have cut springs on several Volvos, and haven't crushed even one.
You haven't cut springs on any Volvos, but you have crushed several.
Something doesn't add up with your logic.

That is true about the camber, but zero toe? Talk about stability issues. So maybe it would boil down to bushings now....

It was Tuff240 that suggested starting with zero toe. He likes his cars responsive. When you want your car to change direction quickly, zero toe to positive toe is what you want with a RWD platform. It will make them climb the groves in the road is the drawback. Hence, "wander".

It's probably me, but the camaraderie of a shared enthusiasm in Volvo's is nil around here sometimes. I have put hundreds of hours and thousands of dollars into my ride. I have been supportive and respectful of others on the forum. I need to take a break from this place.

It's not just you. I don't like the way certain people constantly talk down to other members either.

Quote:

Originally Posted by 2manyturbos

It was Tuff240 that suggested starting with zero toe. He likes his cars responsive. When you want your car to change direction quickly, zero toe to positive toe is what you want with a RWD platform. It will make them climb the groves in the road is the drawback. Hence, "wander".

I like to set my toe at 1/8" in, and usually I just jam the camber to as much negative as I can get with the stock strut mounts. I think that usually ends up at just under 1 degree.

It is key to measure toe after pushing the car forward 5-10 feet. That way, whatever bushings or mounts that might be loose or worn will be tensioned in the direction that they will be tensioned while driving down the road. I've heard of people having someone sit in the driver's seat when they do this too, but I'm usually working on my car alone so I skip that step.

The use of a toe measurement bar makes the procedure a lot easier, and you can make a cheap one yourself:

That's what I set 240s to, 1/8-3/16 inch toe in, depending on how the car tracks when I take it for a test drive. I try to get away with as little toe in as possible.

With all the FWD cars on the road these days one of the first things I suspect with a wandering car is whether the alignment guy realized the car was RWD. I have corrected a few 2/9 cars that came to me with their front wheels towed out, including a long time customer that has a 93 245. The shop had set it 1/8" towed out. The thing was all over the place even though the suspension is in top notch stock condition.

It was Tuff240 that suggested starting with zero toe. He likes his cars responsive. When you want your car to change direction quickly, zero toe to positive toe is what you want with a RWD platform. It will make them climb the groves in the road is the drawback. Hence, "wander".

I set mine to just a touch of toe out. Like a 1/16th. Depends on what I'm doing with the car overall, but generally all of mine are set up for very spirited if not track driving.

sigh... I have a feeling that "man driven" cars will be outlawed on highways etc when that crap happens

Have you seen the commercial for the car with the collision avoidance system with the woman driving, looking in the mirror imagining herself on The Voice or Idol show? I actually had a woman doing that 3 weeks ago. It took 1/2 mile with my signal on before she looked back at the road and realized I wanted to slow down so I could turn. I was going to go right past the road I wanted to turn on because I already got rear ended by someone texting back in July. I'm still going to a concussion specialist because of that idiot. People think their cars are their living room or cubicle at work.

I love TBís. The combined knowledge and experience with these cars here is simply awesome. If one is willing to work some and spend some, the resulting car can be something special. But mostly for me, itís the opportunity to hang out and BS. Ideally, these conversations would be had in the garage over a pint of brew. But, on the plus side, I do get to visit with Volvo enthusiasts from around the globe. And thatís pretty cool.

Thanks for all the great input on my dilemma. Nothing a little blood, sweat and tears wonít resolve. Very much looking forward to the upcoming car event season. Hoping to do some fun road trips and make some new friends.

sigh... I have a feeling that "man driven" cars will be outlawed on highways etc when that crap happens

Probably more just unfeasibly costly to insure to drive in city limits/certain places than outright illegal.

It'll be a minute to say the least.. America isn't Hong Kong yet where every square inch is built up. Many cites you can be in city limits with lots of traffic control, straight to un-improved cut through gravel roads.

__________________
How PSI a stock can support?

Quote:

Originally Posted by JohnMc

If you send me $20 I'll send you a how-to explaining how to make $20 from people on the internet.

With large Channel Locks, squeezing new PS ball joints top to bottom shows approx 1/8" vertical movement. With a small pry bar lifting bottom of the new lower ball joints against a jack stand fulcrum shows no apparent movement on an unloaded suspension. Small pry bar on front lower control arm bushings: from below with jack stand as fulcrum, no apparent movement (F&R). On front bushings pushing out against the crossmember, no apparent movement. On the rear bushings, pushing against the washer from the mount, the bushings do visibly deflect forward. This does not, in my lay person opinion, appear to be excessive and is the same side to side.

Do wide tires contribute to this condition? I've got 215/55R16's. Not super wide, but bigger than OE.

Corresponded with Ben, to get the caster out in the 3-4 (5*?) range with the camber plates would require the smaller springs, so I probably won't pursue that. I'm at 2* now.